Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire
After dominating the Vikings in Minnesota last week, the Bills managed to score ZERO points against the Packers. The Bills are back to barely being a football team and everything is right in the world. The Browns (who are three plays away from being 4-0) dropped to 1-2-1 after narrowly avoiding another tie. The Patriots appear to be back to being the well-oiled machine we are all used to seeing. After another Sunday in the books, which of yesterday’s stars can you count on in the future?
Tarik Cohen (RB, Chicago Bears)
Matt Nagy does not want to hear about his quarterback’s shortcomings. Yesterday, Mitchell Trubisky set the world on fire with 354 yards and 6 touchdowns on just 19 throws. His favorite target of the day was the smaller half of his running back duo, Tarik Cohen. Cohen caught 7 of his 8 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, he added 53 yards on 13 rushing attempts; 2 more than Jordan Howard who had 39 more rushing attempts than Cohen prior to yesterday’s game. Through the rest of the season, I would expect Howard to retake his spot as the team’s #1 back moving forward. This would mean that Cohen would assume his normal spot in the middle of the 3rd tier of RB’s.
Keke Coutee (WR, Houston Texans)
In yesterday’s game, the Texans debuted another talented wide receiver to add to their arsenal of weapons. Keke Coutee became the third member to a receiving core that already has what could be the best 1-2 punch in football. Coutee had more targets than DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V while racking up a team high 11 receptions, the most in NFL history in a debut. He will be at the top of every waiver wire list, but may not be a reliable play for a few weeks. Hopkins and Fuller will continue to dominate the passing game, but being a slot receiver, Coutee could always add consistent yardage. He is a flex at best at the moment, but may prove his worth in the coming weeks.
New England Patriots Running Backs
After injuries to Rex Burkhead and Jeremy Hill, there are just two main running backs remaining in New England who shined in yesterday’s game. James White and Sony Michel were responsible for just under 50% of the Patriots’ offense yesterday afternoon. White rushed 8 times for 44 yards and a touchdown while also catching 8 passes for 68 yards and a score. Michel was used as a the workhorse running back with 25 carries for 112 yards and the first touchdown of his career. Both of these running backs can be used as consistent fantasy starters moving forward as Michel will carry the running game until he becomes a reliable receiver. Michel’s receiving deficiencies will allow James White to have consistent playing time in the Patriots’ offense that is reliant on having a receiver out of the back field.
Jared Cook (TE, Oakland Raiders)
After making a valiant, but one day late, effort at making this list in Week 1, Jared Cook has found himself a member of the elite community of “Is It Legit” players. For the second time this year, Cook led his team in targets and eclipsed 100 yards. Yesterday, he caught 8 passes for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. Through Week 4, Cook leads the Raiders in targets, receptions, yards, and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns. He appears to be Derek Carr’s favorite target and should be considered one of the best tight ends in football. Play him (especially when the Raiders are at home).
David Johnson (RB, Arizona Cardinals)
It was fantastic to see that the Cardinals coaching staff did not forget that David Johnson is one of the most talented football players on the planet. Through the first three games, Johnson had just 44 touches for 197 total yards. On Sunday, Johnson had 25 touches for 112 total yards and a touchdown. With rookie Josh Rosen starting at quarterback, the Cardinals offense immediately became more balanced. As this offense evolves, I fully expect Johnson to be one of the best in the game. Welcome back David Johnson.